Learn How to Live the Best Day Ever by Understanding the 10-10-80 Principle

I have found life has a lot to offer, sometimes it seems a bit overwhelming. There are things I've got to get done today, but for one reason or the other I'm still thinking about yesterday. Then I have to make sure I’m moving in the direction I want to head for the future. How do I manage it all and still get things done? 

The 10-10-80 principle provides me with a framework to learn from the past, allow the future to guide me, and make the most of the present. It is rather simple. Here's how it works:

The Past

What happened in our past is important in shaping our tomorrows. I've seen that past is a great teacher if I'm willing to focus on what matters. Sometimes we say l wish I could go back in time so I can correct the mistakes I've made. Yet, no matter who we are life only grants us twenty-four hours in a day, and once time is gone we can never get it back. We can choose to let regret, missed opportunities, and our failures get the best of us or we can choose to learn from them. I've experienced great gains in my life when I decided to learn from my shortfalls, and once I've learned key lessons from painful memories I do not allow those memories to have any power over me any more. However, I choose to cherish every single positive memory from your past and repay them often. I've found people who spend too focusing on the past miss out on what is going on today, and they won't be prepared for tomorrow. I suggest you allocate 10% of your attention to focus on the past. Doing this will ensure you are continually learning and growing and letting your past guide you. 

The Future 

Now that you know what to do with the past what is the role the future should play in our lives? I allow the future to be my road signs on this journey of life. It allows me to know where I should be heading. Without having an idea of where you want to go you are going to be spinning your wheels to only find out you have not gone anywhere. It is important to have a crystal clear vision of who you want to be and what you desire to accomplish in the future. This provides the excitement in knowing all of your hard of work matters. However, I've found those who spend too much time thinking about what will happen aren't very focused on getting things done today, and in doing so they are failing to secure the future they have envisioned. Only take 10% of your time to focus on your future by answering these questions. Where do I want to be in three months, one year, and five years from now? Who do I want to become? What differences do I want to make in the world? What actions must I take to get there?

The Present 

We've talked about the past and the future, but how should we handle our largest chunk of time we call the present? This twenty-four hour period of time is the single most important choice we can make to better enable our personal success in every area of our lives. The magic ingredient of the present is action. It is the work we put in that capitalizes on what we have learned from the past and allows us to realize our dreams. This is why I believe that focusing 80% of our time on the present. Today is the only day we've been given. The actions we take today pave the pathway for our tomorrow's, so stop dreaming about all you want in your life and work your butt off to get it. I've found that when I put in the hard work some luck even comes my way too. 

The Challenge

I challenge you to put the 10-10-80 principle to work in your life. Try it out for thirty days, and I bet you will be amazed at how much more focused and stress free your life has become.